Lose
by niki-natsumi
Summary: The ultimate way to get Sasuke to crack. Tell him you love him. And attach the ‘-kun’ to his name.


Lose

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Note: First Naruto fic, please please please go easy on me! Although, I'd like to know if you didn't like it, constructive criticism will be appreciated.

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Lose

Uchiha Sasuke hates losing. It's a well known fact. Being an Uchiha, he's inherited that never ending urge to want to win, be the best at everything (courtesy Uchiha Fugaku). In fact, the only person he's ever lost to is Kakashi and that eyebrow kid, Rock Lee. Other than that, no one else. According to what he remembers. And, oh wait, his girlfriend, Sakura Haruno.

You ask how he can lose to Sakura? But first you want to know how she became his girlfriend? I'll tell you.

Well, it is true that before Sasuke joined forces with that sadistic perverted Orochimaru, he thought Sakura was annoying. And then he knocked her out when she yelled that she loved him in a last ditch attempt to stop from leaving. That can't be helped can it? Sasuke's a jerk by nature.

Point is, when Sasuke was brought back to Konoha, Sakura had…well….improved, you can say. She was less of a rabid fan girl, more of a medic, right now intent to fulfill her current goal, help Sasuke back to health, make him forget his past troubles, help him start a new life back again with Team 7. It would've been okay, if only Sakura's completely diminished fan girl image got to Sasuke.

Initially he didn't know what it was at first, deliriousness from being given too many painkillers or drugs, but he saw Sakura…._differently._

Sakura, in all those years in which Sasuke had left, had grown. Become better looking in the process, and it got to Sasuke. It wasn't just her looks, she only talked to him when necessary, but she visited every single day. She told him what was going on in Konoha, what crazy stuff Naruto was doing, but she never fawned over him like she used to. Maybe that's what made Sasuke see Sakura in a new light.

Sakura had finally grown up.

And that came with a price. Everytime Sasuke saw Sakura, he got this weird feeling in his stomach. He wanted to…kiss her, to put it mildly. Don't get the wrong idea, Sasuke's not a pervert. But he still wanted to hold Sakura tight when he saw her. And one more thing.

Boys were all over Sakura. That got on Sasuke's nerves. Once, he saw Kiba talking to Sakura, and Sasuke wanted to beat him up until Kiba cried out for his mother. And that got him.

He couldn't.

He _couldn't._

_He _couldn't.

Because Uchihas did not feel things like that. Things like wanting to beat up guys for talking to their…er…._associates_ and the like. They were emotionless. Damn straight they were! They were calm, stoic, didn't show their emotions, and didn't feel intense feelings like Sasuke currently did.

Little did Sasuke know….

Anyway, when Sasuke got over his initial shock and horror, he asked Sakura out, and she accepted. And they started going out, and have been ever since.

That answer your question?

Right, then, I can go on.

Life had never been better for Sasuke.

Except when he and Sakura have a fight. They yell and yell and yell and then Sakura gives him the cold shoulder, and then they don't talk for long time. Days..weeks..once it even extended to a _ month_.

Sasuke can't stand these long silent treatments, because he loves, yes, loves, Sakura and can't go a day without talking to her.

And as for Sakura…..

She hates fighting with Sasuke too, but she doesn't let that interfere with her work. She is too busy at the hospital, treating shinobis' and kunoichis' wounds. Especially Naruto's, since he fights with Sai and Kiba, since they keep stealing his ramen. And loses most of the time.

You'd think they'd grow up sometime. Geez.

Back to Sasuke. You see, when Sakura and he aren't talking, he's usually the one to crack first. And he HATES it, because he considers losing. Lord alone knows why. And most of the time, it's not even his fault. Sakura makes him crack, or so he states.

Like one Sunday morning….

'Sasuke.'

'Hn.'

'_Sasuke_.'

'What?'

'Why are you ignoring me?'

'I am not ignoring you.'

'Of course you have! You haven't said a word since yesterday.'

Silence.

'……Is it because I smiled at the paper boy yesterday?'

Sasuke shifted in his seat.

'I'll take that as a yes.'

More silence.

'You know, Sasuke, you really have to stop being so possessive. I'm not unfaithful. You should know that.'

'I do know that.'

'Good.'

'But really, Sakura, do you have to be so-'

'So?'

'So..nothing.'

'Spit it out.'

'It's nothing.'

'_Do it.'_

'Do you have to be so-' Sasuke paused, '-annoying?'

There was silence, like the calm before the storm. And then-

'EXCUSE ME? HOW WAS _THAT _ ANNOYING?'

'YOU DON'T GO AROUND SMILING AT THE PAPER BOY!'

'WHY NOT?'

'YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM!'

'IT'S GOOD MANNERS! YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!'

'I _AM_ ** NOT!**'

'JEALOUS!'

'TAKE THAT BACK!'

'NO!'

'FINE!'

'FINE!'

Sasuke stomped into their bedroom and slammed the door shut and pressed his back against it. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

One….two….three…

He slowly calmed down and unstuck his back from the door and looked at it.

That argument had been pretty pointless. But still, did she have to smile at the paper boy? Sasuke sighed. He needed a walk.

He took a while getting ready and then walked downstairs. Sakura was at the table, solving the crossword in the newspaper. 'I'm going for a walk,' announced Sasuke. Sakura looked up and smiled at him.

Sasuke froze. He knew that smile. It was _that_ smile. That 'I-know-you're-angrier-but-I-know-you'll-crack-first-anyway' smile. And damn, it was beautiful. That was the worst part.

Sakura was still smiling at him. 'Don't be long,' she said. And Sasuke froze again. It was the tone of her voice this time. That 'I-love-you' tone. Guaranteed to give you the best results, according to Yamanaka Ino.

Sasuke turned around and started walking towards the door. And just as he was opening it- 'I love you, Sasuke-kun.' And that did it.

_The_ ultimate way to get Sasuke to crack. Tell him you love him. And attach the '-kun' to his name.

But this time, Sasuke wasn't about to crack. No, no, _Sakura_ was going to be the one to crack and apologise. Sasuke wasn't going to do _anything._

'Hn.' Sasuke stepped out and started walking down the path that led to Naruto's house. He needed a training session. Badly.

He was half-way down to Naruto's house when he stopped and slowly turned around. He hadn't been too harsh, had he? After all, Sakura did say she loved him, and he didn't say anything back. So maybe…

_No._ Sasuke would not turn back. He was much too proud to do that. He turned and started walking again, thinking about what Sakura was doing along the way. Maybe she was….

Getting ready to go for work? (_It's Sunday_…)

Watering the garden. (_She already did that…._)

Gossiping with Ino? (_Like Ino's even awake right now_…)

Weeping to Ino about how 'Sasuke-kun' had been mean to her. (_Seriously, even Sakura's too mature for that now._)

Weeping to herself? (_Nah…_)

**His pace slackened slightly...**

Packing her bags so she can go live somewhere else, somewhere without him…. (_No. Really. NO._)

**He was practically **_**ambling **_**to Naruto's place now…**

Writing a letter to him about how the relationship wasn't turning out. (_God no_.)

**He stopped in his tracks. **

And now she's opening the door…(_HELL NO_.)

**His eyes widened in horror.**

…….And leaving to start a new relationship. With the PAPER BOY.

**He turned back and started running to his place. **

_Please no please no please no please no…._

He reached his place in ten minutes, and flung open the door, expecting to see Sakura and the paper boy in a tight embrace. But they weren't. Sakura was still alone, solving the crossword puzzle. And now she was looking at him, looking slightly surprised. 'I thought you were out for a walk, Sasuke.'

'Where is he?' asked Sasuke aggressively.

'Who?' asked Sakura, her eyebrows creasing.

'The paper boy, that's who!'

'What about him?'

'I know you're eloping with him!'

'_HUH??_'

Sasuke stopped to stare at Sakura. It took a few seconds of blinking and looking to realize that she really didn't know what he was talking about. Then a few moments later, he said, he said, '….so you're _not_ eloping with the paper boy?'

Sakura started at him. 'Why would I do that?' she asked. Sasuke started at her, and then at the door, then back at her. And then he realized something.

He had cracked big time. Dammit.

'What's wrong, Sasuke?' asked Sakura.

Sasuke shook his head. And then Sakura smiled. 'You cracked,' she said. 'I lost,' he muttered.

Sakura chuckled as she went to Sasuke and put her arms around him. 'Sasuke, you idiot,' she murmured, 'I'd never run away with the paper boy.' She gave him this amazing smile.

'And as for losing,' she continues, standing on the tips of her toes, 'who said you lost?' And she kissed him.

And as Sasuke kissed her back, he couldn't help thinking, who said he had lost? That was just his pride getting in the way. He may be the first one to crack, but it meant nothing, as long as Sakura still loved him, and he still loved her.

And that would never change.

-END-

_Fin_

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Finished. Yippee! Did you like it? If you did, please review! And if you thought anything was lacking, please let me know, I'd love to know what you thought of it.


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